Founded in the seventh century BC by Celts, the city, then known as Mediolanum ('mid-plain'), was first sacked by the Goths in the 600s (AD), then by Barbarossa in 1157 and finally by the Allies in World War II. Milan had to make an art of recovery, successively reinventing herself under French, Spanish and then Austrian rulers from 1499 until the reunification of Italy in 1870.

It is a miracle that so many historic treasures still exist, including Leonardo Da Vinci's Last Supper, which survived a direct hit in World War II. The Milanesi's appreciation of tradition includes a singular respect for religion, to the extent that they even pay a special tax towards the Cathedral maintenance. It is therefore fitting that the city's enduring symbol is the gilded statue of the Virgin, on top of the Cathedral.

Sightseeing is made easier by the proximity of attractions to the city's Cathedral. Students should not be afraid to explore on foot, ignoring the efficient transport services when time permits.

The center has an attractive number of pedestrian quarters where a cocktail of architectural styles, the grandeur of Imperial Austria, grace of Renaissance Italy and optimistic bravado of the Belle Epoque often stand shoulder to shoulder with the very modern - to stylish effect.

The pace of Milan can be unrelenting. Visitors embracing the invigorating tonic of city life will need to balance their time - as the Milanesi do.

Urban romantics will enjoy wandering the southern stretch of the historic center, taking in the canal banks of the Naviglio Grande, where the old wash houses can still be seen, exploring the University district and the historic collection of basilicas San Eustorgio and San Ambrogio. The city parks, Parco Sempione and the Giardini Pubblici, are to the north and pleasant enough for a break on a sunny day.

Our program allows you plenty of time to discover your new country, culture and customs. Below are some of our recommended highlights. Some tours and packages can be organized when booking your program, please see the program price page for more information.

city tour
Visitors are not drawn to Milan for its culture, which is a pity since the city center has many museums and a particularly good selection of world class art exhibitions and individual pieces, including "The Last Supper". However, the less famous Brera Gallery is an international treasure house - on a par with the Uffizi Gallery in Florence or London's National Gallery - and Michelangelo's last work, the extraordinary Pieta Rondanini, in the civic galleries of the Sforza Castle, is a surprise find for many of the city's visitors.

Sightseeing is made easier by the proximity of attractions to the city's Cathedral and students should not be afraid to explore on foot, ignoring the efficient transport services when time permits. The center has an attractive number of pedestrianized quarters where a cocktail of architectural styles - the grandeur of Imperial Austria, the grace of Renaissance Italy and the optimistic bravado of the Belle Epoque - often stand shoulder to shoulder with the very modern, to stylish effect. The city parks, Parco Sempione and the Giardini Pubblici, are to the north and pleasant enough for a break on a sunny day.

duomo (cathedral)
At the heart of the city, Milan's Cathedral is the world's largest Gothic cathedral, begun in 1386 and added to each century thereafter. The best time to visit is in bright sunshine, when the windows create a kaleidoscope of colour through the cavernous interior. St Charles Borromeo, its most important benefactor, lies buried at its heart. A champion of the Counter Reformation, he commissioned the wooden choir, many of the statues and the nivola, the peculiar basket that is used in one of Milan's stranger ceremonies.

galleria vittorio emmanuele II
Entered from the Piazza in front of the Cathedral, the glass domed cruciform Vittorio Emmanuele II Gallery is a civilised place in which to meet someone or for the weary visitor to rest. This vast Belle Epoque shopping arcade was built to link the Piazza del Duomo to the Piazza della Scala and soon became Milan's conservatory. Winter and summer, Milanesi can be seen here, escaping the rain, browsing the exclusive shops and sipping campari and soda in the bars.

museo teatrale alla scala (theatre museum at la scala)
Opera lovers should visit this museum, crammed with rich mementoes of the celebrated opera house, La Scala. Two halls are devoted to Milan's darling Verdi, whose 'Slaves Chorus' from Nabucco remains the unofficial Italian anthem. Memorabilia include the spinet on which he learned to play, scores in his own hand and the jewel-encrusted baton presented to him after the triumphal reception of Aida. Rossini, Puccini and Toscanini are honoured alongside him.

santa maria delle grazie
The Last Supper (Cenacolo) is one of the most famous paintings in the world. Lodovico Sforza commissioned Leonardo da Vinci's masterpiece (1495-97) for the refectory adjoining the Dominican church of Santa Maria delle Grazie. The painting depicts the moment of Christ's revelation of the betrayal. The 12 apostles are grouped into threes, Christ at the center, Judas (described by Vasari as a 'study in perfidy') to the right, his hand frozen on the bag of silver on the table.

museo d'arte antica del castello sforzesco (museum of historic art of the sforza castle)
Three municipal museums compete for attention within the redbrick Sforza Castle on the edge of the Parco Sempione but the most venerable is the Museum of Historic Art. Visitors come to see Michelangelo's last work, the unfinished Pietà Rondanini, depicting the Virgin cradling the body of Christ, which was bought by the museum in 1952.

museo poldi-pezzoli
The Poldi-Pezzoli Museum's varied and often exquisite collection of art, furnishings and historic arms was put together by the 19th-century aristocrat, Poldi Pezzoli. Milan's favourite painting (after the Last Supper), Antonio Pollaiuolo's Portrait of a Lady, hangs here. The profile portrait of an elegant and well attired lady has since become an icon for Milan's own style and elegance.

pinacoteca di brera (brera picture gallery)
Napoleon, whose statue by Canova stands in the courtyard, opened the Brera Picture Gallery in 1809, a collection that was enriched with objects confiscated on his Italian campaigns. Formerly a Jesuit Academy of Science, the Brera's name comes from the meadows in which it once stood.

civica galleria d'arte moderna (modern art gallery)
The Modern Art Gallery is a treat for lovers of 19th- and 20th-century art. Housed in Napoleon's former summer palace on the edge of the Giardini Pubblici, the extensive collection covers neo-classicism to the modern day. The Impressionists are well represented in the Grassi collection on the second floor, with works by Bonnard, Cézanne, Corot, Renoir, Sisley and Vuillard.

nightlife
As one would expect in young cosmopolitan Milan, the nightlife is vibrant. The evening begins with the passegiata, a cultural institution itself in Italy, where everyone, attired in the smartest clothes possible, 'walks out' - strolling up and down central streets in order 'to see and be seen'. Centres of the passegiate vary in Milan but the Galleria Vittorio Emmanuele II and the pedestrian zones of the city along the Via Dante are good areas to go and watch.

excursions

certosa di pavia
The Carthusian Monastery of Pavia is a living museum, an architectural treasure box containing prized artworks and run by the monks who produce excellent Chartreuse liqueurs. Located 140km (87 miles) south of Milan, 40km (25 miles) from the city of Pavia, in an idyllic setting, the monastery can be reached bus or train.

bergamo
Only 43km (27 miles) from Milan, the walled hilltop town of Bergamo is an enchanting place with a wealth of medieval, Renaissance and Baroque architecture. Visitors should avoid the lower town (Bergamo Bassa) and instead head for the Piazza Vecchia in the heart of the upper town (Bergamo Alta), with the Palazzo della Ragione, restaurants, shops and the Torre della Civica (which can be ascended by lift). In the nearby Piazetta del Duomo, the Cathedral is overshadowed by the Romanesque church of Santa Maria Maggiore, which includes a 19th-century memorial to the native composer, Gaetano Donizetti (whose museum is also worth a visit).

bellagio
The picturesque mountain and lake setting of Bellagio is an obvious tonic for the city weary. Visitors must have a car, unless taking a train to Como and then catching one of the boats from Piazza Cavour quay. The town enjoys fantastic views and a temperate microclimate - hence the luxury villas nestling around its narrow streets. The Villa Serbelloni, owned by the Rockefeller Foundation, has wonderful terraced gardens, while the neo-classical Villa Melzi, where Franz Liszt and Stendhal once stayed, has beautiful landscaped gardens. The villas are open March to October.